PIA Introduces New Reservation Operating System

Karachi (September 12, 2018): The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will begin using a new passenger service system, a Turkish web-based product ‘HITIT’ from today (Wednesday), said a spokesperson of the national carrier.

The new system has been integrated with functions including ticket reservation, flight operation, accounting, and crew management. Among other functions, the departure and arrival of flights in addition to check-in service is also linked to the new system.

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According to the PIA spokesperson, the system — which was bought from a Turkish IT company — will be fully functional from today.

The Chief Executive Officer Saqib Aziz said HITIT will help PIA in curtailing a significant of expense. “Changing the system was a need of present times,” he said.

The new service system is expected to make online booking service easier for customers, according to the national carrier’s chairman. “The system will improve technical capabilities and performance of the airline,” he said. Earlier on September 03, the Supreme Court (SC) declared the appointment of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) chief executive officer Musharraf Rasool Cyan illegal and suspended his role within the national carrier.

A three-judge bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard a case pertaining to the privatisation of the national carrier.

The bench further stated that the that the appointment violated existing rules and regulations and the suspension will be forwarded to the federal cabinet for further review.

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“Cyan does not meet the requirements to be appointed CEO and thus his appointment is illegal,” the bench ruled.

As the hearing went under way, Justice Nisar said, “The matter was left to the cabinet but they have now lost the chance.”

Further, Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked, “As per the initial report, PIA CEO Cyan’s appointment was not according to law and we are looking into it.”

However, PIA’s counsel Naeem Bokhari argued, “The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has announced a decision in the case and sent it to the cabinet.”Justice Ahsan then remarked, “The PIA CEO was appointed in violation of guidelines and the then prime minister’s adviser, Sardar Mahtab Abbasi, was involved in his appointment.”

“Was Cyan interviewed by a board?” he further questioned. “He had no aviation experience prior to his appointment,” Justice Ahsan observed.

To this, the CJP remarked, “PIA is running in losses and should have a CEO who is extremely qualified and experienced.”

He added, “Cyan had worked with Sardar Mahtab Abbasi.”

After listening to the arguments, the top court declared Cyan’s appointment as illegal and declared it null and void.In July, CJP Mian Saqib Nisar ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the appointment of Cyan as the CEO of the national flag carrier. “NAB should investigate the PIA CEO’s appointment and the salary and perks offered to him,” ordered the chief justice.

The order came after the chief justice took suo motu notice of the difficulties and protests of passengers at the Skardu airport against a four-hour delay of a PIA Skardu-Islamabad flight, alleging that the airline management had sacrificed customers’ rights to favour Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials with an ‘air safari’.